It91裸聊视频檚 been years since he sat in a classroom studying the way a bill becomes law, but over the last several months Nathan Kennedy has taken on an unexpected political crash course as the proposed online-streaming legislation winds its way through the House of Commons and Senate.
The content creator from Hamilton, Ont., has found himself thrust into the parliamentary process because of the potential impact that Bill C-11 could have on his livelihood.
91裸聊视频淚 want to understand what the impact to my broader reach will be, whether it91裸聊视频檚 on TikTok or YouTube, because that impacts my business, who I do business with, and am I attractive to sponsors from international markets,91裸聊视频� Kennedy said.
To his 600,000 followers across various platforms he91裸聊视频檚 known as @newmoneynate.
In 2021, he started earning enough money talking about personal finance online that he quit his full-time job as a district manager.
Bill C-11 is awaiting a final vote in the Senate, and is likely to become law in the next several weeks.
But even after almost a year of debate and revisions, some content creators say the proposed law is too ambiguous, and they have no new assurances about what it will mean for them.
91裸聊视频淭he government hasn91裸聊视频檛 been able to provide any meaningful information to industry about the actual application of this proposed law,91裸聊视频� said Kai Hutchence, CEO of Massive Corporation Game Studios in Regina.
91裸聊视频淭hey say a lot of things, but most of it is extremely vague. They don91裸聊视频檛 provide a clear example of what they would do on given platforms.91裸聊视频�
Hutchence relies heavily on YouTube to promote digital products to international customers.
The bill will require big tech companies that offer online streaming services 91裸聊视频� such as YouTube, Netflix and Spotify 91裸聊视频� to contribute to Canadian content and increase its discoverability so that CanCon is easier to find through search engines, applications and websites.
If companies don91裸聊视频檛 comply, they could face steep penalties from the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, which will be in charge of enforcing the new provisions.
91裸聊视频淎 lot of people have some sort of existential fear around being limited in some sense by some governing body,91裸聊视频� Kennedy said.
91裸聊视频淎nd there91裸聊视频檚 collateral damage 91裸聊视频� called creators 91裸聊视频� that could be impacted by this.91裸聊视频�
In the past year, it91裸聊视频檚 become common for content creators to lean on one another for advice. Some have flown to Ottawa to speak to lawmakers. Others have even contemplated moving to the United States.
Google Trends, a website that tracks popular searches, shows people91裸聊视频檚 interest in Bill C-11 has grown in the last year, with inquiries seeking an explanation of the bill, whether it has passed and why it is bad.
Creators say there is disinformation about what it all will mean, and the debate has been politicized, with some who oppose the changes being called Conservative.
91裸聊视频淭he anxiety that (this bill) has provoked in the creator cannot be understated,91裸聊视频� said J.J. McCullough, an LGBTQ content creator, from his home in Vancouver.
91裸聊视频淚 think one thing a lot of (internet) creators feel very deeply about is that they do not want to live under a regulatory framework that governs television and radio in this country.91裸聊视频�
Like McCullough, some who have built careers on the internet say they91裸聊视频檝e done so within a free enterprise model that works and doesn91裸聊视频檛 need fixing.
91裸聊视频淚 became popular by making content people want to watch, it91裸聊视频檚 as simple as that. That91裸聊视频檚 the only way you become popular on YouTube,91裸聊视频� said McCullough, who voiced his concerns about the law to Parliament.
91裸聊视频淲e want to make content whose success or failure is determined by the taste of a global audience, not by Ottawa91裸聊视频檚 conception of what is the right kind of content for Canadians to consume. We find that very paternalistic, politicized, ideological and condescending.91裸聊视频�
Kennedy worries that discoverability requirements would affect his business model. If his videos don91裸聊视频檛 meet future CanCon standards, he said they could be de-prioritized by tech companies.
91裸聊视频淎 lot of times if you don91裸聊视频檛 perform well domestically, you might not make it internationally,91裸聊视频� he said.
Hutchence said the entire process has shown him the government 91裸聊视频渉as become completely irrelevant to the individual.91裸聊视频�
91裸聊视频淭he powers that be do what they want. There91裸聊视频檚 been no process to involve us,91裸聊视频� Hutchence said.
Kennedy said he has come to accept that the bill will pass, but he91裸聊视频檚 holding out hope the CRTC will work with content creators before it begins regulating the internet.
91裸聊视频淚t does make going to the United States more attractive,91裸聊视频� he said.
91裸聊视频淧eople don91裸聊视频檛 really think of content creators as a career, and if there91裸聊视频檚 a better career opportunity for me in the U.S. then I have to consider that.91裸聊视频�
91裸聊视频擬ickey Djuric, The Canadian Press
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